1996 Chateau Lynch-Bages

We were very much looking forward to this year given all of the hype and press around the 2009 Bordeaux vintage and the subsequent 2010 vintage. The 2009 wines did live up to their reputation, though I do remember wishing we could try the 2009’s and 2010’s side by side at that time.

On hand representing the estates were Jean-Charles Cazes of Chateaux Lynch-Bages and Ormes de Pez; Anthony Barton of Chateaux Leoville-Barton and Langoa Barton; and Nicolas Glumineau of Chateaux Montrose and Tronquoy Lalande.

Here are the 2009’s we tasted:

2009 Blanc de Lynch-Bages
2009 Chateau Tronquoy Lalande
2009 Chateau Ormes de Pez
2009 Chateau Langoa-Barton
2009 Chateau Lynch-Bages
2009 Chateau Leoville-Barton
2009 Chateau Montrose
2001 Chateau Lynch-Bages
2001 Chateau Leoville-Barton
2001 Chateau Montrose
1996 Chateau Langoa-Barton
1996 Chateau Lynch-Bages
1996 Chateau Montrose
2007 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes

The 2009’s definitely lived up to the hype. The 2009 Chateau Montrose was my first pick of the ’09’s, followed by the Lynch-Bages. My Wine of the Night was the 2001 Montrose followed by the 1996 Langoa-Barton – both were both drinking incredibly well. My wife was very happy to hear that we have some more of the 2001 Montrose in our cellar at home. I hope she’ll be equally glad to hear that we’ve acquired many of the 2009 vintage releases as well! I know it’s been said before, but I believe it’s true – the ’09 vintage is a must-purchase for any Bordeaux wine lover. I look forward to seeing how this vintage matures.

In 2008, one of the members of my wine tasting group, Bill Schallert, a fine wine importer/distributor with Youngs Marketplace, alerted me to a new Bordeaux dinner that he was helping to host in Seattle. It didn’t take much arm twisting for us to join the dinner.

In the first year, January 19, 2009, the dinner was held at Seattle’s Columbia Tower Club, and the guests of honor were Jean Charles Cazes of Chateau Lynch Bages, and Lillian Barton of Chateau Leoville Barton and Langoa Barton.

The focus that year was the new release of the 2006 vintage. Unfortunately, my memory doesn’t serve well enough to recall my wine of the night or any specifics about the wines, but for the record, these were the wines that were served: